Ethiopia's Tigray rebels abandon regional capital as govt advances: journalist
Federal forces and pro-government militias pushed the rebels back after the TPLF launched attacks into neighboring states, AFP reported.
- On Saturday, Tigray People's Liberation Front militants and leaders abandoned Mekelle as pro-government forces advanced on the regional capital, following Friday's capture of the city's airport.
- Fighting erupted September 23 when TPLF launched attacks into neighboring Afar and Amhara states; government forces launched a counter-offensive this week, pushing rebels back toward Mekelle.
- The Tigray Peace Forces militia posted on Friday that it had "taken full control of Mekelle Alula Aba Nega Airport," though residents feared "lawlessness could spread in the city" without security forces.
- Ethiopia expelled 10 Eritrean diplomats and shut its embassy in Asmara on Thursday, while Eritrea responded it would "sever all diplomatic ties" amid tensions with Egypt.
- TPLF leader Debretsion Gebremichael said in a video published late Thursday that "the war is regional and it is a war to control the Red Sea," while the African Union urged "maximum restraint" across the Horn.
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After several significant victories in this disputed border region, the forces of the Front de libération du peuple du Tigré (TPLF) are yielding ground in the face of the advance of government troops. The situation, which is very volatile, gives cause for fear of a major conflict.
Ethiopia's Tigray rebels abandon regional capital as government advances
Fighting erupted on September 23 in northern Ethiopia as the rebel Tigray People's Liberation Front (TPLF) launched attacks into neighbouring states, raising fears of a return to the devastating 2020-2022 civil war.
The Ethiopian federal forces have moved quickly in recent days towards Makalé. At this stage, they have not yet entered the city, said the journalist, quoted by Agence France-Presse.
Tigray rebels reportedly abandon capital as Ethiopian government forces advance
Tigray rebels are abandoning their regional capital in northern Ethiopia, local residents said on Saturday, as pro-government forces advanced on the city. The region is in the grip of the worst fighting since the civil war of 2020-2022.
BT
On Friday, pro-government forces in Ethiopia took control of the airport in Mekelle, and on Saturday they continued to advance.
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